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What do all of these killing contests have in common?
They award prizes to those who kill the most individuals and the largest
(and sometimes the most females) perpetuating a culture of violence that
sends a message to children that life has little value and that an entire
species of animals is disposable. Despite the incomprehensible cruelty and
predictable ecological destruction, hundreds of wildlife killing contests,
many encouraging youth participation, take place throughout the country,
resulting in countless deaths of vital predators.

Earlier this month in a remote northeastern corner of California,
residents in Modoc County slaughtered at least 40 coyotes in an annual
killing contest known as the Adin “Coyote Drive.” In Crane, Oregon last
month, the “Eight Annual JMK Coyote Hunting Contest ” advertised no
geographic restrictions for its killing contest that resulted in the death
of close to 150 coyotes last year. (The number of animals killed were not
disclosed this year.) In Salmon, Idaho coyotes and wolves were targeted in
the “1st Annual 2 Day Coyote & Wolf Derby” where 21 coyotes were gunned down
on the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) -
our nation’s safety net for wildlife that brought wolves back from the brink
of extinction.

What do all of these killing contests have in common? They award prizes
to those who kill the most individuals and the largest (and sometimes the
most females) perpetuating a culture of violence that sends a message to
children that life has little value and that an entire species of animals is
disposable. Despite the incomprehensible cruelty and predictable ecological
destruction, hundreds of wildlife killing contests, many encouraging youth
participation, take place throughout the country, resulting in countless
deaths of vital predators.
Project Coyote
brought international attention to this issue generating thousands of emails
and letters to federal and state agencies and to killing contest sponsors.

In addition to exposing the brutality, Project Coyote and allies
challenged the legality of the contests in court and were instrumental in
ensuring that some of the events did not take place on public lands. Most
significantly, at the request of Project Coyote, the California Fish & Game
Commission voted unanimously to consider a statewide ban on wildlife killing
contests. Project Coyote Executive Director Camilla Fox requested a ban at
the February 5th Commission meeting. “We urge you to use your authority to
regulate and restrict take by initiating a rule-making process to prohibit
wildlife killing contests — thus modernizing predator management,
conservation and stewardship statewide- and setting the trend for the rest
of the nation — as we do so well here in California.”

Newly elected Commission Vice President, Jack Baylis put forth the motion
to move forward on the formal rule-making process to consider prohibiting
wildlife-killing contests. Commission President, Michael Sutton showed his
support for the motion stating, “I’ve been concerned about these killing
contests for some time. They seem inconsistent both with ethical standards
of hunting and our current understanding of the important role predators
play in ecosystems.”

As a
result of the Commission’s vote, a formal rule-making process will begin and
the issue will be on the agenda at the April 16th Fish and Game Commission
meeting in Ventura. Public testimony will be heard before the Commission
votes on whether to permanently ban wildlife killing contests statewide. If
you live in California, please join us in this effort. Project Coyote and
eight conservation organizations, led by the Southwest Environmental Center,
urged New Mexico Governor Martinez to remove two members of the New Mexico
Game Commission, Chairman Scott Bidegain and Commissioner Robert Espinosa,
for competing in and organizing coyote-killing contests, respectively.
Conservationists in New Mexico have reason to be hopeful. Chairman Scott
Bidegain, charged as an accessory to killing a cougar on his family’s ranch
and facing pressure for his participation in the coyote-killing contest,
recently resigned from the Commission.

And in an unprecedented stand, the
Las Cruces City Council voted unanimously in support of a resolution
opposing wildlife killing events that “encourage the wanton and unnecessary
killing of New Mexico’s wildlife. On February 18th, city councilors opposed
the Predator Masters Hunt & Convention, which takes place in and around Las
Cruces. Banning barbaric killing contests is a part of Project Coyote’s
vision to change the way predators are perceived and “managed.” We are
hopeful that like dog and cock fighting, which are now banned nationwide, we
can make wildlife killing contests a shameful relic of our past.

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